Victory as Mayor agrees to protect rights of electronics workers
Darren Johnson AM has welcomed news that, following a joint campaign with the student group People and Planet, Transport for London (TfL) will partner with Electronics Watch, an independent body that tackles abuses of workers in the electronics industry.
TfL purchases a high volume of electronics products such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and control room equipment on behalf of the entire GLA Group and is the largest organisation to affiliate to Electronics Watch so far.
Darren wrote to the Mayor and the TfL Commissioner in September urging them to join with Electronics Watch. He also tabled a series of formal questions to the Mayor of London and delivered a 21,257 signature petition to the Mayor on behalf of People and Planet in December.
Darren said,
"I am delighted that Transport for London will be affiliating to Electronics Watch in light of the concerns raised by myself, People and Planet and the thousands who signed a petition in favour of this move. As a big consumer of electronics for the fire brigade, transport network, the Olympic Park, the police service and for City Hall itself, the Greater London Authority group has a responsibility to those working in supply chains.”
“I am pleased that the GLA has recognised its responsibility and that Londoners can now be satisfied that products made through exploitation in the electronics industry will play no part in the services they use and will not be bought on their behalf.”
Notes to editors
Darren’s questions to the Mayor of London:
GLA Computers - Supply Chain
Question No: 2015/3261
Darren Johnson
A recent report produced by 'GoodElectronics' showed that students as young as fifteen in China are being forced to work 12 hour days for months by their teachers, the government and local electronics companies, in order to graduate from school. The report traced the servers that they were making right back to major suppliers of the UK public sector, including Dell, Lenovo and HP. Will the Mayor look into whether any computers used in the GLA Group have been made by forced child or student labour, and check that procurement policies are adequate for this purpose?
Written response from the Mayor
I have noted the content of the report and the subsequent reported action by Dell and HP to suspend the use of interns in Chinese factories. Relevant contract managers across the GLA Group will be made aware of the issue.
Through its Responsible Procurement policy the GLA Group is committed to ensuring its suppliers source products ethically. TfL (who provide the procurement service to the GLA) have recently included new terms and conditions in its contracts enabling the termination of a contract if International Labour Organisation Conventions are breached by suppliers or their supply chains. TfL are currently considering the case to affiliate to Electronics Watch to support its ethical sourcing policy.
Transport for London - electronics supply chain
Question No: 2015/2666
Darren Johnson
Transport for London have been members of the advisory group of Electronics Watch, an independent, worker-led organisation monitoring standards for electronics industry employees, since 2013. A proposal for TfL to formally affiliate to the organisation was made to TfL senior management last year. When will TfL announce the outcome of its considerations?
Written response from the Mayor
TfL will announce its decision by the end of December 2015.